Hot-air engine.



PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906. F. W. MORSE & P. B. HUBBARD.

HOT AIR ENGINE. v APPLICATION FILED SEPT.9.1904.

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' an an -intake passage a and a check-valve UNITED STATES PATENT. oEEroE.

FRANK W. MORSE AND FRANK B. HUBBARD, or WARREN, onto.

i HOT-AIR enema.

speciflcation of Letters Patent. Application filed September 9,1904. serial No. 223,840.

Patented June 5 recs.

county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Hot-Air Engines; and we do eclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in hot-air engines and the invention consists in the novel arrangement of arts substantially as hereinafter shown and escribed, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Our object is embodied in a hot-air engine adapted to give increased power over other known forms of hot-air eng nes, especially in the small types,

Accessibility to the interior of the working cylinders and convenience in making repairs is an object also embodied in the' construction.

We aim to produce an engine ada ted to have a constant and fresh air sup y, and thereby maintain an even running 0 the engine continuously without loss of ower.

In the accompanying drawings, igure 1 is a side elevation of our improved engine, and Fig. 2 is a central sectional elevation of the engine at right angles to Fi 1. Fig. 3 is an en arged sectional detail 0 the controllingvalve located in the main ort between the air-cooling cylinder and liot-air cylinder.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, enlarged, of the airpressure relief-valve for the hot-air cylinder.

The engine comprises a main castlng A, made in one piecewith a working cylinder B and a hot-air cylinder portion A at opposite ends and with a. connecting duct .or passage a leadin from the upper end of working cylinder down and into the lower end of portion A of hot-air cylinder C. Removable extensions 0 and C bolted upon the upper and lower faces, respectively, of casting A, complete cylinder O, and a water casing or jacket C is also mounted u on and incloses upper extension C. A p u -valvea? is mounted in assage a to regu ate the speed and power 0 the engine and 1s provided with a to prevent escape of air from (plort 0 A suitable pump connection is ma e with the screw end a, of said valve, and air is forced into the cylinders before starting the engine.

Thereafter checkvalve a remains closed from the pressure within.

Working cylinder B is rovided with a piston D, connected by r0 (1 with crank 2 on shaft 3, whichcarries balance-wheel 4 and which shaft is mounted in bearings supported by base L. Hot-air cylinder 0 1s provided with a ver light weight hollow lunger E, which is fil ed with asbestos e or li e material said cylinder. Plunger E has an upper vertical stem e, adapted to slide in bearings e and f to keep the plunger in perfect running alinement and out of contact with the cylinder. Bearin f is part of standard F, adjust- :ably mounte u on a water-jacket C by bolt f, and this jac 'et is removably secured to the flanges of extension C A. yoke H ivotally connects stem 0' with crank 5 on s aft 3, and said crank is set at substantially eighty five or ninety degrees in advance of crank 2. A heater of any suitable construction, such as a gasolene-burner I, is located immediately beneath the lower end. of cylinder C, and a heat, confining jacket or casing J de ends from the flange of cylinder extensions 2 and isspaced apart from said cylinder and pro-. vided with openings at its top for the escape of the heat from burner I.

The engine as thus constructed is designed, primarily, for operating a water-pum -K. mounted upon base L 01 the engine, an sai pump is connected by a yoke connection. M with piston D. Pump K is located in the line of water-su ply N and forces the water through pipe N working cylinder B, and thence through pipecoupling b into water-'acket C of extensions 0', and thence throng outlet-pipe b to its ultimate destination.

For greater efficiency and power we have also provided an auxiliary air-pump O, having a flap-valve piston 0, said pump bein mounted upon head 8 of working cylinder and having its piston 0 connected with piston D by short shaft 0 nects pump 0 with the lower portion of cylwhich is taken fronrthe outer atmosphere past the piston 0 into the lower end of cylinder extension 0 and a check-valve P preguard against an overpressure of air within cylinder C, we provide a spring-controlled relief-valve 12 located at the upper end of cylinder C, and said valve automatically opens to i and is of less-diameter than the interior of into the water-jacket b of An air-pipe P coninder extension 0 and conducts the cool air vents the return of the air to the pump. To

relieve the pressure in the upper end of the cylinder when thefpres'sure exceeds a predetermined amount and iscontrolled by setscrews 1) on saidvalve. i v

Main casting A issupported above base L by four tubular u rights L one at each corner, and a handever L 1s pivoted upon a bracket L secured to one said uprl hts,

' and a link or other suitable connection 4 is -si'on C of cylinder C heated to a high degree.

hereupon the engine starts running upon .an initlal movement given to fly-wheel 4 and continues to run until valve a is closed or constant op'en connection is established with the outer atmosphere. As piston D rises the cool air in cylinder B is forced through duct or passage a into cylinder C beneath plunger E. As plunger E rises the heated air passes into working cylinder B and acts upon the pistontherein. The upper portion of cylinder C is water-jacketed to cool the air at that end, and when the plunger rises the cool air is displaced and forced down to the lower end of said cylinder. Balance-wheel 4 acts to carry the plunger over the dead points. A fresh'supplyof air is takenin from the outside from time to time, and any surplus is also autoir'latically disposed of. The first-named result is obtained by air-pump O, which forces a supply of air from connection P into cylinders, a p unger 111 said air-heating cylinder and a piston insaid working cylinder and crank connections for the same, a heater for saidair-heating cylinder and an auxiliary air-pump connected with said piston, air con nections between said pump and air-heating cylinder, a check-valve in said connections, and an air-pressure relief-valve for said air heating cyllnder.

2. In a hot-airengine, a casting with a working cylinder and a portion of an air-heating cyllnder embodied therein, separate upper and lower extensions to complete said air-heating cylinder, a water-jacket for the upper extension and a heater-casing for the lower extension, a heater beneath said airheating cylinder, a piston for said working cylinder and a plunger for said air-heating t e'reon and crank connections between said crank-shaft and said piston and said plunger, an auxiliary air-pump for said engine and air connections between said auxiliary airpump and the lower end of said air-heating cylinder, and means to control the flow of air to said heating-cylinder from said auxiliary pump, and an automatic air-relief valve for the upper end of said air-heating cylinder.

In testimony whereof we sign this specifi cation in the presence of two witnesses. FRANK W. MORSE. FRANK B. HUBBARD. Witnesses: 4

R. B. MOSER, H, T. FISHER.

5 c linder, acrank-shaft and balance-wheel 

